mals show when a strange creature not ‘ turn on him for an instant: yet in the
of their sort is near. This man was momentary stolid pause which he made,
foreign to them.
His dress, speech,
the young man had an uncomfortable
habit of silence had never been known sense of having been weighed and found
to them before ; and under these was a
wantmg.
stronger instinct of alienism from their
“ He will inquire of thee,” he re sumed, in the same slow monotone, “ of a vessel lost years ago_the Terror: tell him that it was on this coast that the ship went down. Let him send me war ranty, and I can find the treasure hidden among these rocks.” “I will carry the message,” said Van Zeldt, gravely, with no word of question or surprise. Laddoun checked the ex clamation on his lips after a hasty glance at the dark, solid figure, and immovable face tumed seaward. It sent a chill of doubt and fear over his healthy body, as if he had unconsciously touched the re pellant pole of an electric battery. “ The ship Terror was lost on these rocks fifty years ago,” he said in an un dertone to Van Zeldt, as they walked up the beach together, leaving the stranger still watching the melancholy sea line
salty, seafaring ways. It was noticeable that they stood aloof from him as much as might be, leaving his tall, square figure, in its outlandish garb, like a strange shadow, alone on the beach. It was just before the last cord of wood was taken in that he gave the message to Van Zeldt. It came out of a curious custom belonging to the beach. The mails were carried at long intervals, and even then were of most uncertain de livery. The schooners which carried the fish, game and lumber up to the New York markets, ran, too, at irregular times--only, in fact when it suited the convenience of their owners_but the means of transportation they offered were secure and rapid. It became, therefore, a habit with the masters of these vessels to make a. sort of public notice of their time of departure and willingness to carry messages or parcels to the upper harbors. There were many of these little formal old customs hanging about the settlement. When Jim Van Zeldt made his an nouncement. it was responded to by no
“ an emigrant ship, with three hundred souls aboard.” “ You’re never at fault, Laddoun," admiringly.
“ There are few matters into which I
have not looked,” smiling, and running his thick white fingers through his glossy one but the stranger, Ledwith, who ap hair. The little chord of vanity struck parently was prepared and waiting for it. had brought him altogether in tune again. ‘-’VVe‘ll turn off for the night now,” “ But there was no treasure in her. said Van Zeldt, when he had spoken, That old fellow is after Kyd‘s doubloons, looking out to the gathering shadows. and he thinks to throw us off the scent “I have a message for thee.” The by lugging in the name of this wreck. clear, decided voice made Van Zeldt and But he had need to be awake early to the men turn : the words which follow blind George Laddoun. eh P or you. ed were in a lower key. slow, measured, Jim,” with an encouraging tap on the as though he weighed each by some back. hidden meaning known to himself alone. They walked in silence up the grassy “ When thee reaches New York. a ‘ break through the woods which one or man will meet thee on the wharf, habited two wagon-ruts marked as the road, and in a dress like mine, asking for tidings stopped where a path struck off to Van of the ship Terror.” Zeldt‘s house. Laddoun lingered, break “ She does not ply on this coast,”
interrupted Laddoun. with the off-hand, peremptory tone habitual to him, which
ing the bark ofl' a dead cedar, with an
unwonted softening and hesitation in his look and motions. expressed a thorough knowledge of all “You‘ll make a quick run of it, Jim ?” matters, great and small. , he said. ‘‘You’ll be back in time? For The Quaker’s dull blue eye did not Thursday ?”
